Joanna James
The city of Kandy attracts many travelers every year. Although there are many places to visit here, the most beautiful places often go unnoticed. Here are some of the lesser known places of the city in the hills.
This is a historically significant forest reserve located behind the Temple of the Tooth Relic (Dalanda Maligawa). This sanctuary has been where King Wickramabahu's palace was built in when he ruled the monarchy. Also, a hermit monk named Senkada, who was an influential person, had resided in a cave in the Udawattekale sanctuary. The monk has been a reason behind calling the city of Kandy, Senkadagala. This is also the first wildlife sanctuary in Sri Lanka. You can find monkeys and a myriad of bird species here. If you are a fan of bird watching, this is somewhere you must visit.
The British Garrison Cemetery is located near the Dalanda Maligawa. The cemetery was there since 1817 and was used until 1999. The name of the cemetery hints that there was a garrison of British soldiers settled in Kandy. When you read the tombstones, you will realize that most of the soldiers have died at a very young age. The tombstones of several important people can be found here. They include John D'Oyly, Lady Elizabeth Gregory, and William Charles Macready. The latter translated the Sinhala epic, Salalihini Sandeyshaya to English. If you have decided to stay at a hotel with close proximity to the Dalanda Maligawa the likes of Topaz Hotel, you can visit the cemetery on a chilly night and give you're self a scare!
This is known as Rajapihilla in Sinhalese. This is a royal bath place which is located some 2 kilometers away from the city centre. The King who is responsible for this open-air bath is King Weera Parakrama Narendrasinghe. He has sourced water from the Rajapihilla canal. The Royal bath was made with granite with complete drainage systems. The government still uses the Rajapihilla canal for other open baths in the city. This is one of the most underrated historic places in Kandy and definitely deserves a visit.
The Dunumadalawa Forest Reserve is spread across 480 hectares. It is also known as Walker estate and Warakawatte. This forest reserve overlooks the Kandy city and has two reservoirs sourced through Roseneath Ela and Dunumadalawa Oya. This is the best place in Kandy to wind down and relax. Even if you're not a nature lover, you will love this forest reserve. This is located around 2000 feet above the sea level so it is much colder than the normal temperature of Kandy. If you're planning on visiting the Dunumadalawa Forest reserve, make sure you get prior permission from the town council.
When you're in Kandy, things to do are never scarce. However, visiting a library won't be on the top of your to-do list. The library of the tooth relic, however, is an exception. The library dates back to 1875. In here you find more than 2000 scrolls made from old leaves. Most of these scrolls are more than one and half centuries old. Along with these scrolls, there are many ancient printed books as well. If you want to visit, you need to get permission from the Administrators of the Dalanda Maligawa. This is a very culturally rich place in Kandy that deserves a lot more attention than it does now.
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